Irrigation systems are used to ensure that grass lawns receive an adequate supply of water. Water sprinkler systems have been used to deliver the water to lawns. Control over the amount of water supplied by a sprinkler system is a critically important goal for sprinkler systems. If too much water is used, this not only increases costs, but also wastes water, a vital resource. The lawn being overwatered may also become damaged. If too little water is used, the lawn that is being watered may deteriorate.
Water conservation has become increasingly important throughout the world. Many areas have suffered, or are presently suffering, from water shortages. Water use for the purpose of watering residential lawns and gardens, and water use for agriculture, are two of the largest components of water usage, by percentage. They are also two of the largest ways in which water is wasted. Large amounts of water are wasted through overwatering. Overwatering can occur, for example, on a day when a sprinkler system distributes water in its pre-programmed amount, even though it may have rained less than 24 hours prior. The sprinkler system should instead distribute less water on such days, because the rain would presumably provide some of the water that the lawn requires.
Water usage can increase in some months, and decrease in others. The amount of water needed to adequately supply a given lawn can vary between individual days, because temperature can also vary between individual days.
Therefore, there is a need for a control system, for sprinklers, that can alter the amount of water supplied by the system, depending on the amount of water that is needed.
Existing irrigation systems generally work according to a timer. They supply water for a fixed period of time, then cut the water supply off. This creates problems because there is no guarantee that the amount of water supplied in the time period programmed into the sprinkler is the amount that is required by the lawn that is being watered.
Electrical sprinkler control systems have the added potential problem that they need an electrical/battery power supply in order to work. Therefore, they require electrical wiring and connection to an electrical power source. They are also vulnerable to failure if there is a “blackout” or other problem with the electrical power supply.
The United States, and the world, now face increasing problems associated with energy costs. Energy costs have started to negatively affect U.S., and global, economic growth.
Electrical sprinkler control systems use a large amount of electrical power. This increases energy costs to property owners.
A new type of sprinkler control system is needed that allows the sprinkler to distribute only the amount of water that is needed, and which requires a reduced power supply.
The Waterbug fulfills this requirement by generating its own power. The Waterbug is powered by the pressure of the water flowing through it. This gives the Waterbug substantial advantages over previous sprinkler control systems, because it uses a reduced amount of electrical power.
The Waterbug includes sensors that sense the amount of water that is present in the soil. When the amount of water present in the soil reaches a pre-programmed amount, the Waterbug turns off the water flowing into the sprinkler system. The Waterbug therefore reduces water waste significantly by immediately stopping water from flowing through the sprinkler system when such water is no longer needed.
Another advantage of the Waterbug is that it contains both the sensors to sense the amount of water in the soil, and the ability to stop the water flowing through the sprinkler system. Sensors that sense the amount of water in the soil have previously been patented, but few of these devices also included the ability to cut off a sprinkler system from watering the lawn. The fact that both these devices are included in the Waterbug makes the Waterbug more useful.
The Waterbug's ability to sense the amount of water in the soil, and stop the sprinkler system automatically when the water level hits a preprogrammed point, is very useful. When the weather changes, for example, when rains falls, the amount of watering that a lawn requires may vary. In such circumstances, the Waterbug will be able to automatically adjust the amount of water needed based on the amount of water that is needed to reach a pre-programmed level of soil moisture.
The Waterbug has the additional benefit that it can be used with any sprinkler system. It is therefore more versatile, and cheaper, than other, previously available, sprinkler control systems.
The Waterbug's combination of its ability to generate its own internal power, its ability to turn off the water flowing through the system if necessary, and Waterbug's ability to sense the water content of the soil, the Waterbug's ability to control water waste, and the fact that the Waterbug can be included with any sprinkler system make it different from any other product which has been patented or created.